Allan Watched "Gladiator II"
Stuck at the beginning between a sequel and a remake of it’s award-winning original film, Gladiator II survives its sloppy opening act to deliver an entertaining and heartfelt film that justifies its existence.
What Am I?
It is said that Socrates once looked to the sky and asked “Who am I? Where am I from? Where am I going?”, and the same could be said about the first 30 minutes of Gladiator II. If you haven’t seen the Best Picture-winning Gladiator, you will be freed from how clunky the beginning feels, as much of the exposition feels stuck in the past as if it is a remake, and not a sequel. I did just re-watch Gladiator, so it is all fresh in my mind, and I am sure many viewers haven’t seen the predecessor in 20 years, if at all, but the issues are pretty glaring.
For one, there are so many repeated beats as we watch Lucious (Paul Mescal), apparently cast away from Rome since he saw Maximus die in the Colosseum, find his way to becoming a slave and having to fight as the titular Gladiator.
It is jarring to see the virtually identical opens: a quick table-setting text that explains some backstory, followed by an initial battle scene where Lucious makes a very similar speech to Maximus’s first speech. He then eventually sees a loved one die, sees that person in a vision of the afterlife, becomes a slave, discusses with his new owner why he will not fight, then is finally convinced by the captor to fight in a trade for getting revenge on the one who killed his loved one. I sat there a little stunned that it was playing out as a remake.
Eventually there is a turn, luckily for us, where Gladiator II escapes the original’s shadow, and against all odds delivers a remarkably touching, exciting, and satisfying overall product.
Acting Brilliance
A big reason this film works is the tremendous performances that evade no characters, as every single person who appears on the screen does the job exceptionally well. The pacesetter is unquestionably Denzel Washington. In this Golden Globe-nominated (and soon to be Oscar-nominated) performance, Washington turns Macrinus into the star of the show. Macrinus is a power-seeking former slave who accumulates Gladiators as currency for control within Rome. This role easily could have just felt like an offshoot of Gladiator’s Antonius Proximo, the great Oliver Reed’s final performance before his tragic death, but instead it is a singularly great showing by the legend.
The other leads certainly hold their own in Washington’s presence. Mescal brings the needed angst, anger, and heart to Lucious, making you not long too much for Russell Crowe. Pedro Pascal, despite a cringy accent, is marvelous as the heroic General Acacius, husband to Lucious’s mother Lucilla, reprised beautifully by Connie Nielson.
The smaller roles shine throughout, too. Alexander Karim (The Swarm) is inspiring as Ravi, a former gladiator turned doctor. Tim McInnerny provides some comedic relief as the gambling-addicted Senator who can’t resist Macrinus’s bets. The twin emperors Geta and Caracalla are chaotically brought to life by Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, Game of Thrones) and Fred Hechinger (Eighth Grade, The White Lotus), respectively, and anyone else who makes an appearance fills the screen in a very watchable way.
A Worthy Story
The main takeaway I got from Gladiator II is that trying to funnel fan service into a story that is compelling on its own does more harm than good. Director Ridley Scott had tried for years to make this sequel. First being quelled by the Paramount Pictures acquisition of DreamWorks and then taking years to decide on what type of story it should be. There were versions of the sequel where it took place in the afterlife starring Crowe, and I am glad they did not follow through with that, but the end result here has too much of the original to it.
Scott pulls it off though, despite the clanky takeoff to start the film. It certainly is not as good as the original, and the mere two Golden Globe nominations is a sign that it will be a thin award season for a movie that I am sure had many people hoping it would bring in more than just the huge box office return. $400 million later and a lasting performance from Washington later, Gladiator II is still a worthy addition to the Gladiator lore, and certainly not the worst sequel to a Best Picture-winning film.
Random Thoughts
I do think watching Gladiator so soon before this was a mistake. If you were thinking of giving it a watch before seeing II, I would hold off. They have a nice animated review of what happens in the opening credits, and it will save you from the issues I experienced.
There were two classes of monkeys in this film. The first group of CGI-killer monkeys were off-putting and ridiculous. The other monkey is Emperor Caracalla’s monkey, and I would die for him. He is adorable and him mimicking humans is so endearing. Good monkey.
Denzel really is wild and brilliant here. His crazy choices all work, and the film desperately needed him.
Pedro Pascal’s accent is really bad in the beginning. It either gets better or I got used to it, but early on it was distracting.
Ridley Scott is far too good of a director to have a spy scene play out like it did. Don’t want to spoil anything, but you will be hit in the face when it happens. It is comically wedged in.
Gladiator is a template for a good revenge story, but I really like the complexities Gladiator II brought to its version. When things started to get intense, I think I liked this version, as a story, better.
The opening battle scene is so much worse than the original, and confusing. Lucious gets knocked into water and doesn’t drown despite being unconscious for an entire battle? It didn’t make any sense.
Quick Hits
How many times have I seen this movie?
First time! I could see myself rewatching when it is on TV.
Where was I watching it?
.Beautiful AMC theaters with Nicole Kidman, a giant popcorn, and diet root beer.
Favorite trivia about the movie
Ridley Scott was famously obsessed with having a rhino battle in the first film, but couldn’t due to cost. Well Ridley, you did it!
Favorite part
The final 20 minutes is exquisite. They really stuck the landing with great battles, interesting twists, and a solid conclusion.
Least favorite part
Those first monkeys. Gah.
Would I recommend this movie?
I would, especially if you haven’t seen the original. They give you everything you need to know before things really get going. If you have an affinity for Gladiator like I do, just tread lightly.
So What Does Allan Give It?
One Gold Thumbs Up! Overall, a score of 76. They say it is not about how you start but it is how you finish, and Gladiator II is a shining example of just that.
